Banks may offer clients different services. One of services offered is to initiate one or more banking transactions by submitting an electronic file to the bank. The client may transmit the electronic file using an online portal of the bank, email, or any other suitable method. Contents of the electronic file may be specially formatted. The contents may be formatted based on the type of transaction requested. Some files may include a plurality of different transactions. Each transaction listed in the file may be formatted differently.
The client may access the online portal using a user interface. For example, the client may wish to process a number of Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfers to pay multiple invoices.
To process transactions based on an electronic file, the bank typically establishes an electronic connection that links the client to infrastructure for processing the transactions. The electronic connection may be accessible to the client through a user interface of the portal. The electronic connection may link the client, via the interface and portal to various types of payment networks. A payment network may be viewed as the “rails” used to transfer funds between the client and a target. The target may be another account of the client, a vendor, a government or any suitable target.
The portal may offer the capability to process a variety of different transaction types using various payment networks. The portal may offer the capability to process more transaction types than the client may regularly utilize.
The bank that operates the portal may establish electronic connections to the payment networks requested by the client. The bank may establish electronic connections to one or more payment networks used at least once by the client. The bank may offer the client an ability to utilize payment networks for which an electronic connection has not yet been established on behalf of the client.
The client may request a transaction that utilizes a payment network which the bank has not yet linked to the client or user interface of the client. It would be desirable to provide the client with banking services that, from the client's perspective, do not distinguish between different transactions requested by the client. Specifically, it would be desirable, from the client's perspective, that a requested transaction be processed in a consistent manner regardless of whether an electronic connection has yet to be established on behalf of the client or already exists.
For at least this reason, it would be desirable to provide pre-provisioning of electronic banking files.